Books

Public Sector Reform in Sweden

The Swedish programme of administrative reform is situated in the front line of public management renewal efforts. This book analyses in international comparison the most important reforms that have taken place since the programme started in the 1980s. The lessons of the Swedish experience are discussed.

The size and effectiveness of the sector have been hot political topics in Sweden for decades. As a result dramatic reforms have been implemented as regards the relationships between the public and private sectors, and between the different levels of government. The number of central government employees has been cut by half, commercial activities have been corporatised, decentralisation to the municipal level has continued, local government has been reorganised and private sector participation has been increasingly introduced. Public management systems have been strongly inspired by market models. Discussion on public ethics and the role of civil society has gained new momentum in tandem with the evaluation of the reform experiences.